It’s Thursday morning, I just got off the phone with my contact at the Department of Commerce and it sounds like I will get word on my application requesting to “export” Pandora to Cuba in about a week. \u00a0That’s good news as that application is one of two key parts of the puzzle regarding our hoped for visit to Cuba this winter. \u00a0Based on our conversation, I am optimistic.<\/p>\n
As you may recall, another key question in all of this\u00a0has been the regulations on visiting Cuba from a third country, in our case, The Bahamas. \u00a0Our plan, for some very practical reasons, such as the prevailing winds, mean that we’d like to travel to Cuba from the Bahamas, head south,\u00a0transit the Windward Passage and explore the southern coast of Cuba prior to visiting Havana and heading back to the US. \u00a0The good news is that as of November the rules governing travel to Cuba by private vessel were further loosened. \u00a0In the recent past, you were required to travel to Cuba directly from the US and return directly to a US port, without a stop in any other country. \u00a0Now, that restriction has been lifted as reported in a very recent\u00a0document from the Treasury. \u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 If you want to read the whole thing, you can refer to item #32 but this is what is says and it’s a major change.<\/p>\n “32. As an authorized traveler, may I travel from a third country to Cuba and from Cuba to a third country?<\/strong> Yes, a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction engaging in authorized travel-related transactions may travel to Cuba from a third country or to a third country from Cuba. Persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction traveling to and from Cuba via a third country may only do so if their travel-related transactions are authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, and are subject to the same restrictions and requirements as persons traveling directly from the United States.”<\/em><\/p>\n As I have mentioned, I need to gain approval to “export” Pandora as well as get a formal “general license” for me and Brenda to visit for longer than two weeks. For a visit of two weeks or less, you can do so under a “self directed license” as long as you believe that you satisfy the requirements for that category of travel. However, you must keep records for five years following your visit and be prepared to share them with Uncle Sam if he asks.<\/p>\n As far as approval to “export”\u00a0\u00a0Pandora is concerned, that’s looking positive and I expect to hear in about a week. \u00a0fingers crossed. \u00a0It will likely take longer for a decision on our application under the “Journalistic activity” statute but we have our fingers crossed. \u00a0 \u00a0In case you are interested, here’s the wording for the current statute within that category.<\/p>\n “9. Who is generally authorized to engage in travel and travel-related transactions for \u201cjournalistic activity\u201d?<\/strong> OFAC has issued an expanded general license that incorporates prior specific licensing policy and authorizes, subject to conditions, travel-related transactions and other transactions that are directly incident to journalistic activities in Cuba. Among other things, this general license authorizes, subject to conditions, full-time journalists, supporting broadcast or technical personnel, and freelance journalists to travel to Cuba. The traveler\u2019s schedule of activities must not include free time or recreation in excess of that consistent with a full-time schedule. An entire group does not qualify for the general license merely because some members of the group qualify individually. For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, please see 31 CFR \u00a7 515.563.”<\/em><\/p>\n In my last post I included a short video of travel in Cuba on an “ultra low budget”. I’ll admit that it highlighted a travel approach that was\u00a0a bit rougher than Brenda would likely be interested in (roaches are not her thing) so today I’ll highlight two videos that I think are more her speed. \u00a0To that point, my brother Bill has questioned me as to why we want to go to Cuba so hopefully these clips will answer that question. \u00a0Are you listening Bill?<\/p>\n Architecture has always fascinated me, in part because my late Father was publisher of an architectural magazine for many years and the possibility of seeing colonial architecture, some in rough shape for sure, is high on my list.<\/p>\n As no blog post is complete without a picture or video, it’s the whole “picture is worth a thousand word\u00a0thing”, I thought that you might enjoy this short five minute clip of traveling around Cuba and it’s architecture, believed by many to be some of the finest from the Colonial Period in the Caribbean. \u00a0The segment\u00a0also touches on Santiago de Cub<\/a>a. the second largest city in Cuba which has been designated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)\u00a0<\/em>as a\u00a0World Heritage Site, for it’s cultural and architectural significance. \u00a0It’s about 35 miles west of Guantanamo Bay (a place we CAN’T visit) and \u00a0likely our first stop on the southern coast. \u00a0There is also discussion of Trinidad de Cuba<\/a> which we hope to visit as well. \u00a0